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Privacy Concerns Prompt Grounding of CAPPS II; Hassoun's Homecoming
Aired July 15, 2004 - 14:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, fearing the worst for a man missing in Iraq, DNA tests are being done on a headless body found on the outskirts of Mosul. Police say they suspect it may be one of the two Bulgarian truck drivers held hostage by militants. Al Jazeera reported earlier this week that one of the truckers had been killed.
U.S. Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is on his way back to the United States. He is due to arrive at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia. Hassoun has said he was kidnapped in Iraq. He later turned up in Lebanon. The military is investigating his claims. We'll have more in just a moment.
Another mystery in Mason City, Iowa. Officials have just confirmed that remains found yesterday are those of an adult white man. They don't know yet how he died. There's been speculation that the remains were of a female reporter missing for almost ten years. Jodi Huisentruit vanished in 1995.
CAPPS II is kaput, Tom Ridge is unruffled, and senators promise unfettered investigations of Iraqi prisoner abuse reports, three headlines from the terror front. CNN's Sean Callebs has the byline.
We'll start with CAPPS II.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Kyra. Now, if you remember, early in the year, the government rolled out this grand plan for confronting terrorism on airplanes called CAPPS II. It stands for Computer Assisted Passenger Screening System.
Well, almost immediately concerns were raised about the possibility of the invasion of privacy. There were also concerns about how effective this could be rolled in, in terms of a timeframe. Well, the government wanted airlines to share private information with the Transportation Security Administration, information such as full name, address, birth date and parts of the itinerary.
Now, all that information will be checked against a database. And, in essence, the various passengers will be broken down into three categories: red, meaning not allowed to travel on the aircraft; yellow, extra security; or green, it's exactly what it sounds like. Well, in the end, the concerns of invasion of privacy won out.
This is a program that will not get off the ground. It is going to be scrapped. One hundred million dollars was approved for the budget. The government ended this program after spending about $40 million of that money -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Tom Ridge coming forward, saying he's feeling pretty good about convention security, right?
CALLEBS: Exactly. He's been very adamant about that, saying that, in essence, the U.S. is taking unprecedented precautions about the upcoming Democratic convention that is scheduled in the end of July in Boston.
Law enforcement officers will be patrolling all over. They'll be in the harbors, in the various waterways. They will have mobile commands set up. There will be portable x-ray machines. Those will be on hand to check any kind of suspicious bags, any suspicious boxes.
Also, get this, 3,000 local, state and federal law enforcement officers. Now, again, authorities have been very concerned about what they term a non-specific threat. However, Ridge says both Boston and the GOP convention in New York later in the summer will be safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: These are two of the most significant things we do every four years, as a signal to -- it's not just about our country. It's a signal to the rest of the world.
The terrorists have struck us, they try to intimidate, they try to bring anxiety or fear to how we -- how conduct our business in this country. And we're not going to let them intimidate us or create an environment where we do something anything differently than we've done for 200-plus years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Three thousand officers, a great deal at stake here. And to give you an idea just how costly this will be, it will probably end up costing the U.S. more than the amount it spent on security for the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Speaking of security issues regarding security at Abu Ghraib prison, coming up once again, senators speaking out.
CALLEBS: Yes. It's hard to believe that that first came to the forefront two-and-a-half months ago. Well, today, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Warner, held a behind-closed- door briefing with various members of the military to get status reports on the various military investigations going on into this abuse.
Now, Warner said he is pleased at this point. He believe is there no foot dragging going on. He still plans on holding his fourth, that's right, fourth public hearing on the abuses at Abu Ghraib and other prisons.
He wants the Pentagon to provide some officials, including the former head of the U.S. coalition in Iraq, Paul Bremer. Warner says he has actually spoken with Bremer, so this isn't coming out of left field.
Now, also today, Warner said there are still more abuses coming out about Abu Ghraib. However, he says he is confident that this kind of thing will never happen again -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Sean Callebs, live out of Washington, thanks so much.
Now to the mysterious odyssey of Wassef Ali Hassoun. The Marine corporal is newly arrived in the U.S. now for still more repatriation after his puzzling disappearance in Iraq and reappearance in Lebanon just three weeks later. Was Hassoun a kidnap victim, as he claims, or a deserter, other none of the above?
CNN's Jamie McIntyre following the case now from the Pentagon -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the Marine Corps is still not saying anything officially that would indicate that Corporal Hassoun has done anything wrong, saying only that a missing person investigation continues into his disappearance from his base in Fallujah, Iraq, on July 19, and his -- June 19, rather -- and his subsequent reappearance July 7 at the home of Lebanese relatives in Lebanon.
Now, he did just arrive back in the United States a short time ago at the Quantico Marine base, just south of Washington, in Quantico, Virginia, by a C-12 aircraft. We are expecting a short statement from a base spokesman or a Marine spokesman, essentially confirming that this is the next phase in the repatriation process for Hassoun, and that this will continue until he is deemed fit to return to his unit and to resume his place.
Now, again, Hassoun has claimed that he was abducted while -- from the base, and while he was in captivity, but the Marine Corps still has some doubt about that. Navy criminal investigators will be asking him some tough questions that he will need to answer.
Hassoun himself issued a statement before leaving Germany, but he made no reference to what happened during his time when he was missing, saying only that he was happy to be free and anxious to rejoin his relatives. Although, at this time, we know of no plans to reunite him with his family.
Instead, he'll continue the process at Quantico, again, facing some questions about whether or not he was a deserter, whether he was truly captured, or whether something else was going on.
Part of the reason the Marine Corps suspects that is, apparently, when he left, he took a lot of personal effects with him. That seemed inconsistent with any sort of abduction from the base. But, again, no charges have been filed against him, and this is still the questioning phase of this missing persons investigation -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jamie McIntyre live from the Pentagon.
Time for some other news across America now. At the White House, President Bush signs legislation that toughens penalties for identity thieves. The president also hailed it as a new anti-terrorism measure, saying anyone who provides a fake I.D. to a terrorist now gets a mandatory five-year sentence.
In Las Vegas, spending (ph) on a mega merger, Harrah's Entertainment confirms it has agreed to by its rival, Caesars Entertainment. This marriage is worth about $9.4 billion. The takeover is expected to take place next year.
And it's being called Carson City's worst firefighter ever. Four firefighters injured, 16 structures destroyed by this wildfire. So far, winds have pushed the blaze across 8,500 acres.
Now a look at a key element of U.S. military defense planning, a system designed to spot and shoot down incoming missiles fired from anywhere in the world. CNN's David Ensor begins a two-part report on this system with a look at a crucial component now being built.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Simply put, the radar under construction in Corpus Christi, Texas is huge.
COL. MIKE SMITH, PROJECT MANAGER, XBAND RADAR: What you're looking at is the world's largest Xband Phased Array Radar. It's 100 feet tall in its present condition, and it weighs about four million pounds.
ENSOR: Workers are racing to complete the radar this year, to become part of the multibillion-dollar missile defense that President Bush wants to deploy against ballistic missile attack by a rogue state, like North Korea. The radar's job, figure out which is the real warhead, so that missile interceptors can be launched to try to stop them.
LT. COL. RONALD KADISH, FMR. DIR., MISSILE DEFENSE OFFICER: This has that type of capability and would increase our overall confidence we're shooting at the right target.
ENSOR (on camera): And not a decoy?
KADISH: And not a decoy.
ENSOR: How good is the Xband radar? Colonel Smith says if slugger Barry Bonds could hit a baseball into space from Giants stadium in San Francisco and the radar were deployed near Washington, it would...
SMITH: Not just see the baseball, but detect the spinning motion on the baseball. That's how powerful this radar is, and that's exactly why it was developed.
ENSOR: The radar will soon be placed atop this platform, under preparation in Brownsville, Texas. It is a Norwegian-built oil drilling platform with four engines, which the Pentagon plans to deploy in the Pacific Ocean.
SMITH: The deck size here is large enough to hold an entire football field, with both endzones.
ENSOR (on camera): Once the radar is in place and has been tested, it will start its roughly six-month journey around Latin America, back up through the pacific ocean, to its future home port, which is an island in Alaska's Aleutian chain.
(voice-over): Based at Adak, Alaska, the giant radar vessel will have a crew of 62 and be provisioned to operate at sea for 60 days without new supplies.
(on camera): It's one thing walking up here now, but when it's rocking about in the Pacific Ocean, it might be a little tougher.
SMITH: Yes, that's correct. That's why it's a very hardy breed of people that do this kind of thing.
ENSOR (voice-over): The Xband radar vessel will be a strategic target for America's enemies. When at sea, officials say it will have protection from U.S. Navy ships and planes.
(on camera): In order to acquire its target, the Xband radar is on these giant wheels, which can rotate it 270 degrees on this track right here, and of course if they need to go further than that, they simply use the propellers in the water on the vessel.
(voice-over): Critics question whether the $815 million radar vessel will be able to survive the rigors of the Pacific.
PHILIP COYLE, FMR. ASST. DEFENSE SECY.: The issue is not simply the size of the waves, but whether or not all that salt water and spray will affect the highly sophisticated electronics.
ENSOR: But Pentagon officials say like other radars, the Xband will be covered, the circuitry is extremely robust, and it will sit on two massive pontoons.
(on camera): It's going to take a beating on the way around, isn't it?
SMITH: It's going to take a beating, but it's built to withstand a beating, and that's exactly why we picked an oil drilling platform, the extreme stability.
ENSOR (voice-over): Built for stability and built to help stop a missile attack against the United States.
David Ensor, CNN, Corpus Christi, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Military planners have batted around the idea of a missile defense system. In part two of his series, David Ensor takes a broader look at where that idea came from. So join us for that tomorrow on LIVE FROM.
She talks with god face to face, or at least the character she plays on TV does. Just ahead, we're going to talk with "Joan of Arcadia's" Amber Tamblyn about her Emmy nomination for best actress.
And you're looking at a family reunion made possible by the efforts of some determined rescuers. The story of the puppy, the fall down the well, and some folks who refused to give up just ahead on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's television's highest honor. Emmy nominations were announced today from Los Angeles. There were some old standbys among the nominees, but also some new blood.
"The Sopranos" led all shows with 20 Emmy nominations, including best drama. Also on the list, first-time challenger "Joan of Arcadia," a show about a teenage girl who talks with god. The show's star, Amber Tamblyn, is also nominated as the best lead actress in a drama series. Amber joins us live on the phone from Vancouver.
Amber, you haven't gotten much sleep, have you?
AMBER TAMBLYN, ACTRESS: No, I haven't, not at all. I've been up since 5:00 this morning.
PHILLIPS: Well, how are you feeling? I mean, 21 years old, you're being nominated for an Emmy. This is huge!
TAMBLYN: Yes, I know. It's totally insane. I'm -- I'm just here with my friend, Christa (ph), about to get a massage and just relax a little bit.
And it's just a great honor. And I'm so excited for our show, too. I mean, I've been saying that this is kind of just the icing on the cake, you know, being nominated, for me. Our show being nominated is absolutely amazing.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's give you a chance to brag a little bit about the show. It's about a young teenager, you have many conversations with god. I mean, are you a religious person, a spiritual person? What's it like playing this role?
TAMBLYN: No, I'm definitely not a religious person, but I am a spiritual person. And that's how my parents raised me. But this show is not about religion, so, I mean, it doesn't really correspond.
The show is about relationships and how people grow from relationships. And basically, where god coincides within this journey that we all take as human beings. And we're like the metaphysical and the physical connect.
And Joan is sort of like stuck in this vortex in between. And she has to go between god and between people, and sometimes between herself, to figure out, you know, what she's supposed to do or what she's going to do with her life.
But it's very -- the show, for people who haven't seen it, it's very quirky and very dark at times. And, you know, Joan doesn't treat god like god. She treats god like her best friend, who she's mad at some times and then she likes.
And I think this Emmy nod has really sort of shown -- has given us finally the respect of a decent show, and sort of has taken us as this underdog with a strange storyline into a whole new place. So I'm really excited for us.
PHILLIPS: Well, you bring up a good point, because folks have talked about, oh, this is like "Touched by an Angel," but it's not.
TAMBLYN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You know, you talk about spirituality and obviously, you know, this character of god is in there. But it is very much about the beauty of life. I've heard you say that before. And you do touch on all types of issues.
But I'm curious, you know, for a lot of the shows that are out there, a lot of the role models, this does -- does touch on something positive, and that is making you think about spirituality. I mean, do you see this as a good show for young teenagers to watch, and even families to watch?
TAMBLYN: I think absolutely. And I don't think -- I don't think there was ever a point on "Touched by an Angel" where somebody called god a jerk, which Joan has done that.
And, I mean, in that sense, it's very realistic that there is no -- there is boundary between what is real and what's not. And so that's -- that's kind of, I think, what gives it a realistic meaning for people, is that it's not (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to the idea that -- that god is this sort of entity that we can never reach.
Because by having Joan, who's such a normal teenager and normal person, be able to talk to god on a -- on a very average everyday level makes it exciting for the viewer, makes people really feel like they know Joan, so therefore they can know god. And they know what she's going through, so therefore they know the messages that god is trying to tell her.
But I just think it's -- it's very -- it's very different from what people categorized it in the beginning as. And I -- we've always kind of felt like the underdog trying to explain, trying to say, no, we're not like this, we're not like that, we're not like anything.
We're different. You have to watch before you judge. And this is finally just, I think -- this is finally what sort of opened it up for everybody and made people see, like, you know, we are an incredible show, and this is -- this is what we're made of.
PHILLIPS: Well, your dad must be so proud. We all know your dad, Russ, of course, from "West Side Story." I know he's been a big influence on you, and he's even been in the show a couple of times with you. What's he saying?
TAMBLYN: Yes. My dad actually played god.
PHILLIPS: Imagine that. He's been the god in your life. It makes sense.
TAMBLYN: Yes. I'm sure he would like to say that's typecasting. But he actually played the dog walker god, which is -- which was one of the funny -- which was one of the funnier gods.
And he's been on twice, and he'll be coming back in the second season. And it was really fun. It was really weird and really fun to work with my dad.
But he was so ecstatic actually this morning that he -- before I even told him, I came in the room, and he had taken the telephone out of the hotel room and dragged it all the way down the hallway and put it in the bedroom. So there was this wire that was going through the hallway into the room, and I tripped over it when I went in there to tell him the news. He had this whole like contraption set up so that he would hear the phone ring in the morning. It was really funny.
PHILLIPS: And we're looking at your dad in the clip. So what do you think? Will you guys do "West Side Story" together on Broadway?
TAMBLYN: Oh, that would be awesome. I don't know who I would play, but...
PHILLIPS: Well, I know you can...
TAMBLYN: And I don't know who he would play either.
PHILLIPS: Well I know you can sing and dance, so it wouldn't be a problem.
TAMBLYN: Yes. We'll see one day. I hope to do a feature film with my dad. That would be awesome.
PHILLIPS: Amber Tamblyn, you're on your way. Lead actress in a drama series, you've been nominated for an Emmy. Congratulations.
TAMBLYN: Thank you so much.
PHILLIPS: We'll be watching to see if -- indeed, if you win, Amber. Thank you.
TAMBLYN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, as the cost of commercials soar, 20th Century Fox has decided to hit the mall. That's interesting.
(MARKET REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, a big case of puppy love leads to a pretty (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rescue when a family pet falls down a 30-foot well. The feel-good story of the day, and it's next on LIVE FROM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: In the bayou, when a little puppy gets lost down the well, there's no other choice than to go fishing for him, right? Well, reporter Jennifer Hale of affiliate WAFB, has the story from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER HALE, WAFB (voice-over): On the Roberts' family farm, you could say animals rule the roost. The kids, Richie (ph) and Destiny (ph), are surrounded by horses, ponies, chickens and puppies. These animals are much more than just pets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's Buddy (ph). That's Buddy (ph). That is (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Whenever they had them, they were only about that big.
HALE: You see, Destiny (ph) and Richie (ph) home school. So these animals are their playmates and companions. So on Monday, when one little pup, Sassy, slipped down a 33-foot well, the Roberts were devastated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think about her because she's still on her mama. She's not, you know, weaned from her mama yet, and she's not even eating food yet. She's in there and she can't -- she doesn't have anything to eat or drink.
HALE (on camera): Sassy is just one-month-old and looks exactly like her brother, Blacky (ph). Up until two-and-a-half days ago, these two puppies were absolutely inseparable.
(voice-over): Sassy's cries have been echoing in friends and neighbors' consciences. Members of the volunteer fire department are vowing to somehow set her free. After concocting a homemade device out of glow sticks, PVC pipe and rope, these firemen went fishing for the ultimate prize.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main thing is holding it up here.
HALE: Hour after hour...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I got it.
HALE: ... in a heat index of more than 110 degrees...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't feel anything.
HALE: ... they tried again and again, until...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang on. Stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got him. I'm sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go, puppy. Easy! Don't pull her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Success! (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HALE: That word "success" can mean many different things. Today, it simply means reuniting family.
Jennifer Hale, WAFB 9 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Live pictures now out of Quantico, Virginia. We want to let you know, in about 15 minutes, we are expecting a briefing right now. The U.S. Marine who disappeared in Fallujah and reappeared somehow in Beirut is back in the United States. We're talking, of course, of Wassef Ali Hassoun, the corporal -- Marine corporal.
As you know, he left Germany this morning. About six days of exams and debriefs at a U.S. Army hospital. He's now at Quantico, expected to be interrogated. Needs to answer a lot of questions regarding his disappearance. Once again, a briefing in about 15 minutes.
Now to take us through the next hour of political headlines, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS."
Aired July 15, 2004 - 14:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, fearing the worst for a man missing in Iraq, DNA tests are being done on a headless body found on the outskirts of Mosul. Police say they suspect it may be one of the two Bulgarian truck drivers held hostage by militants. Al Jazeera reported earlier this week that one of the truckers had been killed.
U.S. Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is on his way back to the United States. He is due to arrive at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia. Hassoun has said he was kidnapped in Iraq. He later turned up in Lebanon. The military is investigating his claims. We'll have more in just a moment.
Another mystery in Mason City, Iowa. Officials have just confirmed that remains found yesterday are those of an adult white man. They don't know yet how he died. There's been speculation that the remains were of a female reporter missing for almost ten years. Jodi Huisentruit vanished in 1995.
CAPPS II is kaput, Tom Ridge is unruffled, and senators promise unfettered investigations of Iraqi prisoner abuse reports, three headlines from the terror front. CNN's Sean Callebs has the byline.
We'll start with CAPPS II.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Kyra. Now, if you remember, early in the year, the government rolled out this grand plan for confronting terrorism on airplanes called CAPPS II. It stands for Computer Assisted Passenger Screening System.
Well, almost immediately concerns were raised about the possibility of the invasion of privacy. There were also concerns about how effective this could be rolled in, in terms of a timeframe. Well, the government wanted airlines to share private information with the Transportation Security Administration, information such as full name, address, birth date and parts of the itinerary.
Now, all that information will be checked against a database. And, in essence, the various passengers will be broken down into three categories: red, meaning not allowed to travel on the aircraft; yellow, extra security; or green, it's exactly what it sounds like. Well, in the end, the concerns of invasion of privacy won out.
This is a program that will not get off the ground. It is going to be scrapped. One hundred million dollars was approved for the budget. The government ended this program after spending about $40 million of that money -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Tom Ridge coming forward, saying he's feeling pretty good about convention security, right?
CALLEBS: Exactly. He's been very adamant about that, saying that, in essence, the U.S. is taking unprecedented precautions about the upcoming Democratic convention that is scheduled in the end of July in Boston.
Law enforcement officers will be patrolling all over. They'll be in the harbors, in the various waterways. They will have mobile commands set up. There will be portable x-ray machines. Those will be on hand to check any kind of suspicious bags, any suspicious boxes.
Also, get this, 3,000 local, state and federal law enforcement officers. Now, again, authorities have been very concerned about what they term a non-specific threat. However, Ridge says both Boston and the GOP convention in New York later in the summer will be safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: These are two of the most significant things we do every four years, as a signal to -- it's not just about our country. It's a signal to the rest of the world.
The terrorists have struck us, they try to intimidate, they try to bring anxiety or fear to how we -- how conduct our business in this country. And we're not going to let them intimidate us or create an environment where we do something anything differently than we've done for 200-plus years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Three thousand officers, a great deal at stake here. And to give you an idea just how costly this will be, it will probably end up costing the U.S. more than the amount it spent on security for the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Speaking of security issues regarding security at Abu Ghraib prison, coming up once again, senators speaking out.
CALLEBS: Yes. It's hard to believe that that first came to the forefront two-and-a-half months ago. Well, today, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Warner, held a behind-closed- door briefing with various members of the military to get status reports on the various military investigations going on into this abuse.
Now, Warner said he is pleased at this point. He believe is there no foot dragging going on. He still plans on holding his fourth, that's right, fourth public hearing on the abuses at Abu Ghraib and other prisons.
He wants the Pentagon to provide some officials, including the former head of the U.S. coalition in Iraq, Paul Bremer. Warner says he has actually spoken with Bremer, so this isn't coming out of left field.
Now, also today, Warner said there are still more abuses coming out about Abu Ghraib. However, he says he is confident that this kind of thing will never happen again -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Sean Callebs, live out of Washington, thanks so much.
Now to the mysterious odyssey of Wassef Ali Hassoun. The Marine corporal is newly arrived in the U.S. now for still more repatriation after his puzzling disappearance in Iraq and reappearance in Lebanon just three weeks later. Was Hassoun a kidnap victim, as he claims, or a deserter, other none of the above?
CNN's Jamie McIntyre following the case now from the Pentagon -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the Marine Corps is still not saying anything officially that would indicate that Corporal Hassoun has done anything wrong, saying only that a missing person investigation continues into his disappearance from his base in Fallujah, Iraq, on July 19, and his -- June 19, rather -- and his subsequent reappearance July 7 at the home of Lebanese relatives in Lebanon.
Now, he did just arrive back in the United States a short time ago at the Quantico Marine base, just south of Washington, in Quantico, Virginia, by a C-12 aircraft. We are expecting a short statement from a base spokesman or a Marine spokesman, essentially confirming that this is the next phase in the repatriation process for Hassoun, and that this will continue until he is deemed fit to return to his unit and to resume his place.
Now, again, Hassoun has claimed that he was abducted while -- from the base, and while he was in captivity, but the Marine Corps still has some doubt about that. Navy criminal investigators will be asking him some tough questions that he will need to answer.
Hassoun himself issued a statement before leaving Germany, but he made no reference to what happened during his time when he was missing, saying only that he was happy to be free and anxious to rejoin his relatives. Although, at this time, we know of no plans to reunite him with his family.
Instead, he'll continue the process at Quantico, again, facing some questions about whether or not he was a deserter, whether he was truly captured, or whether something else was going on.
Part of the reason the Marine Corps suspects that is, apparently, when he left, he took a lot of personal effects with him. That seemed inconsistent with any sort of abduction from the base. But, again, no charges have been filed against him, and this is still the questioning phase of this missing persons investigation -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jamie McIntyre live from the Pentagon.
Time for some other news across America now. At the White House, President Bush signs legislation that toughens penalties for identity thieves. The president also hailed it as a new anti-terrorism measure, saying anyone who provides a fake I.D. to a terrorist now gets a mandatory five-year sentence.
In Las Vegas, spending (ph) on a mega merger, Harrah's Entertainment confirms it has agreed to by its rival, Caesars Entertainment. This marriage is worth about $9.4 billion. The takeover is expected to take place next year.
And it's being called Carson City's worst firefighter ever. Four firefighters injured, 16 structures destroyed by this wildfire. So far, winds have pushed the blaze across 8,500 acres.
Now a look at a key element of U.S. military defense planning, a system designed to spot and shoot down incoming missiles fired from anywhere in the world. CNN's David Ensor begins a two-part report on this system with a look at a crucial component now being built.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Simply put, the radar under construction in Corpus Christi, Texas is huge.
COL. MIKE SMITH, PROJECT MANAGER, XBAND RADAR: What you're looking at is the world's largest Xband Phased Array Radar. It's 100 feet tall in its present condition, and it weighs about four million pounds.
ENSOR: Workers are racing to complete the radar this year, to become part of the multibillion-dollar missile defense that President Bush wants to deploy against ballistic missile attack by a rogue state, like North Korea. The radar's job, figure out which is the real warhead, so that missile interceptors can be launched to try to stop them.
LT. COL. RONALD KADISH, FMR. DIR., MISSILE DEFENSE OFFICER: This has that type of capability and would increase our overall confidence we're shooting at the right target.
ENSOR (on camera): And not a decoy?
KADISH: And not a decoy.
ENSOR: How good is the Xband radar? Colonel Smith says if slugger Barry Bonds could hit a baseball into space from Giants stadium in San Francisco and the radar were deployed near Washington, it would...
SMITH: Not just see the baseball, but detect the spinning motion on the baseball. That's how powerful this radar is, and that's exactly why it was developed.
ENSOR: The radar will soon be placed atop this platform, under preparation in Brownsville, Texas. It is a Norwegian-built oil drilling platform with four engines, which the Pentagon plans to deploy in the Pacific Ocean.
SMITH: The deck size here is large enough to hold an entire football field, with both endzones.
ENSOR (on camera): Once the radar is in place and has been tested, it will start its roughly six-month journey around Latin America, back up through the pacific ocean, to its future home port, which is an island in Alaska's Aleutian chain.
(voice-over): Based at Adak, Alaska, the giant radar vessel will have a crew of 62 and be provisioned to operate at sea for 60 days without new supplies.
(on camera): It's one thing walking up here now, but when it's rocking about in the Pacific Ocean, it might be a little tougher.
SMITH: Yes, that's correct. That's why it's a very hardy breed of people that do this kind of thing.
ENSOR (voice-over): The Xband radar vessel will be a strategic target for America's enemies. When at sea, officials say it will have protection from U.S. Navy ships and planes.
(on camera): In order to acquire its target, the Xband radar is on these giant wheels, which can rotate it 270 degrees on this track right here, and of course if they need to go further than that, they simply use the propellers in the water on the vessel.
(voice-over): Critics question whether the $815 million radar vessel will be able to survive the rigors of the Pacific.
PHILIP COYLE, FMR. ASST. DEFENSE SECY.: The issue is not simply the size of the waves, but whether or not all that salt water and spray will affect the highly sophisticated electronics.
ENSOR: But Pentagon officials say like other radars, the Xband will be covered, the circuitry is extremely robust, and it will sit on two massive pontoons.
(on camera): It's going to take a beating on the way around, isn't it?
SMITH: It's going to take a beating, but it's built to withstand a beating, and that's exactly why we picked an oil drilling platform, the extreme stability.
ENSOR (voice-over): Built for stability and built to help stop a missile attack against the United States.
David Ensor, CNN, Corpus Christi, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Military planners have batted around the idea of a missile defense system. In part two of his series, David Ensor takes a broader look at where that idea came from. So join us for that tomorrow on LIVE FROM.
She talks with god face to face, or at least the character she plays on TV does. Just ahead, we're going to talk with "Joan of Arcadia's" Amber Tamblyn about her Emmy nomination for best actress.
And you're looking at a family reunion made possible by the efforts of some determined rescuers. The story of the puppy, the fall down the well, and some folks who refused to give up just ahead on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's television's highest honor. Emmy nominations were announced today from Los Angeles. There were some old standbys among the nominees, but also some new blood.
"The Sopranos" led all shows with 20 Emmy nominations, including best drama. Also on the list, first-time challenger "Joan of Arcadia," a show about a teenage girl who talks with god. The show's star, Amber Tamblyn, is also nominated as the best lead actress in a drama series. Amber joins us live on the phone from Vancouver.
Amber, you haven't gotten much sleep, have you?
AMBER TAMBLYN, ACTRESS: No, I haven't, not at all. I've been up since 5:00 this morning.
PHILLIPS: Well, how are you feeling? I mean, 21 years old, you're being nominated for an Emmy. This is huge!
TAMBLYN: Yes, I know. It's totally insane. I'm -- I'm just here with my friend, Christa (ph), about to get a massage and just relax a little bit.
And it's just a great honor. And I'm so excited for our show, too. I mean, I've been saying that this is kind of just the icing on the cake, you know, being nominated, for me. Our show being nominated is absolutely amazing.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's give you a chance to brag a little bit about the show. It's about a young teenager, you have many conversations with god. I mean, are you a religious person, a spiritual person? What's it like playing this role?
TAMBLYN: No, I'm definitely not a religious person, but I am a spiritual person. And that's how my parents raised me. But this show is not about religion, so, I mean, it doesn't really correspond.
The show is about relationships and how people grow from relationships. And basically, where god coincides within this journey that we all take as human beings. And we're like the metaphysical and the physical connect.
And Joan is sort of like stuck in this vortex in between. And she has to go between god and between people, and sometimes between herself, to figure out, you know, what she's supposed to do or what she's going to do with her life.
But it's very -- the show, for people who haven't seen it, it's very quirky and very dark at times. And, you know, Joan doesn't treat god like god. She treats god like her best friend, who she's mad at some times and then she likes.
And I think this Emmy nod has really sort of shown -- has given us finally the respect of a decent show, and sort of has taken us as this underdog with a strange storyline into a whole new place. So I'm really excited for us.
PHILLIPS: Well, you bring up a good point, because folks have talked about, oh, this is like "Touched by an Angel," but it's not.
TAMBLYN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You know, you talk about spirituality and obviously, you know, this character of god is in there. But it is very much about the beauty of life. I've heard you say that before. And you do touch on all types of issues.
But I'm curious, you know, for a lot of the shows that are out there, a lot of the role models, this does -- does touch on something positive, and that is making you think about spirituality. I mean, do you see this as a good show for young teenagers to watch, and even families to watch?
TAMBLYN: I think absolutely. And I don't think -- I don't think there was ever a point on "Touched by an Angel" where somebody called god a jerk, which Joan has done that.
And, I mean, in that sense, it's very realistic that there is no -- there is boundary between what is real and what's not. And so that's -- that's kind of, I think, what gives it a realistic meaning for people, is that it's not (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to the idea that -- that god is this sort of entity that we can never reach.
Because by having Joan, who's such a normal teenager and normal person, be able to talk to god on a -- on a very average everyday level makes it exciting for the viewer, makes people really feel like they know Joan, so therefore they can know god. And they know what she's going through, so therefore they know the messages that god is trying to tell her.
But I just think it's -- it's very -- it's very different from what people categorized it in the beginning as. And I -- we've always kind of felt like the underdog trying to explain, trying to say, no, we're not like this, we're not like that, we're not like anything.
We're different. You have to watch before you judge. And this is finally just, I think -- this is finally what sort of opened it up for everybody and made people see, like, you know, we are an incredible show, and this is -- this is what we're made of.
PHILLIPS: Well, your dad must be so proud. We all know your dad, Russ, of course, from "West Side Story." I know he's been a big influence on you, and he's even been in the show a couple of times with you. What's he saying?
TAMBLYN: Yes. My dad actually played god.
PHILLIPS: Imagine that. He's been the god in your life. It makes sense.
TAMBLYN: Yes. I'm sure he would like to say that's typecasting. But he actually played the dog walker god, which is -- which was one of the funny -- which was one of the funnier gods.
And he's been on twice, and he'll be coming back in the second season. And it was really fun. It was really weird and really fun to work with my dad.
But he was so ecstatic actually this morning that he -- before I even told him, I came in the room, and he had taken the telephone out of the hotel room and dragged it all the way down the hallway and put it in the bedroom. So there was this wire that was going through the hallway into the room, and I tripped over it when I went in there to tell him the news. He had this whole like contraption set up so that he would hear the phone ring in the morning. It was really funny.
PHILLIPS: And we're looking at your dad in the clip. So what do you think? Will you guys do "West Side Story" together on Broadway?
TAMBLYN: Oh, that would be awesome. I don't know who I would play, but...
PHILLIPS: Well, I know you can...
TAMBLYN: And I don't know who he would play either.
PHILLIPS: Well I know you can sing and dance, so it wouldn't be a problem.
TAMBLYN: Yes. We'll see one day. I hope to do a feature film with my dad. That would be awesome.
PHILLIPS: Amber Tamblyn, you're on your way. Lead actress in a drama series, you've been nominated for an Emmy. Congratulations.
TAMBLYN: Thank you so much.
PHILLIPS: We'll be watching to see if -- indeed, if you win, Amber. Thank you.
TAMBLYN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, as the cost of commercials soar, 20th Century Fox has decided to hit the mall. That's interesting.
(MARKET REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, a big case of puppy love leads to a pretty (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rescue when a family pet falls down a 30-foot well. The feel-good story of the day, and it's next on LIVE FROM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: In the bayou, when a little puppy gets lost down the well, there's no other choice than to go fishing for him, right? Well, reporter Jennifer Hale of affiliate WAFB, has the story from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER HALE, WAFB (voice-over): On the Roberts' family farm, you could say animals rule the roost. The kids, Richie (ph) and Destiny (ph), are surrounded by horses, ponies, chickens and puppies. These animals are much more than just pets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's Buddy (ph). That's Buddy (ph). That is (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Whenever they had them, they were only about that big.
HALE: You see, Destiny (ph) and Richie (ph) home school. So these animals are their playmates and companions. So on Monday, when one little pup, Sassy, slipped down a 33-foot well, the Roberts were devastated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think about her because she's still on her mama. She's not, you know, weaned from her mama yet, and she's not even eating food yet. She's in there and she can't -- she doesn't have anything to eat or drink.
HALE (on camera): Sassy is just one-month-old and looks exactly like her brother, Blacky (ph). Up until two-and-a-half days ago, these two puppies were absolutely inseparable.
(voice-over): Sassy's cries have been echoing in friends and neighbors' consciences. Members of the volunteer fire department are vowing to somehow set her free. After concocting a homemade device out of glow sticks, PVC pipe and rope, these firemen went fishing for the ultimate prize.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main thing is holding it up here.
HALE: Hour after hour...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I got it.
HALE: ... in a heat index of more than 110 degrees...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't feel anything.
HALE: ... they tried again and again, until...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang on. Stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got him. I'm sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go, puppy. Easy! Don't pull her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Success! (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HALE: That word "success" can mean many different things. Today, it simply means reuniting family.
Jennifer Hale, WAFB 9 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Live pictures now out of Quantico, Virginia. We want to let you know, in about 15 minutes, we are expecting a briefing right now. The U.S. Marine who disappeared in Fallujah and reappeared somehow in Beirut is back in the United States. We're talking, of course, of Wassef Ali Hassoun, the corporal -- Marine corporal.
As you know, he left Germany this morning. About six days of exams and debriefs at a U.S. Army hospital. He's now at Quantico, expected to be interrogated. Needs to answer a lot of questions regarding his disappearance. Once again, a briefing in about 15 minutes.
Now to take us through the next hour of political headlines, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS."
